The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1887-02-15

understand what to expect and act &C
cordingly.
The statements published in the
San Francisco Daily Report and Post,
relative to the collections made by the
Hawaiian Consul, from seamen for
Hospital tax are, to say the least of it,
surprising.
The story had better be told in the
words of the Post. That paper says:
There is a great deal of murmuring and
discomfort among the seamen who ship on
the steamers Australia and Zealandia, of the
Oceanic line, and the claim that they are be-
ing robbed of Hospital assessment by the
Hawaiian Consul in this city. On the last
trip of the Australia to Honolulu, man
named Charles Knorp was taken sick, and
made application to the Queens Hospital for
treatment. His disease was aneurism of the
aorta, usually classed by physicians as incur
able and necessarily fatal, but in any event
Knorp was told that he could not get in the
hospital without paying $1.50 day for treat
meut, although the hospital assessment had
been taken out of his wages before he ship
ped. He did not live long after arriving at
the islands, his death being fastened, it is
said by the necessarily poor nursing which
his shipmates could give him.
This account, which is given by the seamen,
is corroborated by the agents of the vessels,
John ID. Spreckels d Brothers, and some in
sight was given into the operations of the Ha-
waiian Consul, u. A. Mckinley. A represent-
alive of the firm said to- day: "The Australia
and Zealandia were formerly British vessels,
but now they fly the Hawaiian flag. We ship
the crews through Consul Mckinley for a
round trip, the Australia going only as far as
Honolulu and the Zealandia to Australia.
The Australia makes thirteen trips each year
and every time Mckinley charges the eighty
eight men on board fifty cents for discharg-
ing, and twenty-five cents for hospital fee,
making him the neat little sum of 1858 each
year out of the sailors. In addition there is
a charge of fifty cents for shipping, that usu
ally comes out of the sailors, but in this in
stance we pay it. 1t amounts to 1912 annu-
ally, so that in all Mckinley gets Just 81 43O
each year for doing nothing. Quite Il bonanza
isn't it? !
The Zealandia makes four trips annually
to Sydney. There are as before eighty eight
meu, and McKinly charges them the modest
sum of 81 for discharging and twenty five |
cents for the hospital. Thus, YOU see, the sea-
men pay him $40. We pay him $l76 more
fifty cents for shipping each man. In all, he |
gets S6l0 from this source. Taking the Aus |
tralia and the Zealandia together, our friend |
receives tribe over $1,000 a year, and it's |
fat thing for him.
sit isn't quite as bad as it used to be, bv !
good deal. SIX months ago. when both YES
sells were plying between here and Honolulu |
and together making 26 round trips each |
year, he got $l.75 each trip from every man
that went aboard. 1t brought him an income
of over 1000 a year. Finally, we entered a |
protest and threatened to put the steamers
under the British flag. He WINGED at this and
moderated his fees little AS it is, they are
larger than any nation on earth charges
"In4egard to that Honolulu hospital-it is
another swindle. If man on our steamers
gets sick IN this city, the Consul ooolly tells
him be has no business to do so here and
should go to Honolulu. If he is stricken
down there the managers of the hospital tell
him it Is for natives of the islands, and he
cannot be admitted. Altogether it is will
full extortion. and it ought to be stopped"
This is indeed sweet little story.
On what authority have these very
large fees been levied? Presumably
upon the authority of the Minister of
Foreign Affairs. But what has be-
come of this money. Looking into
the report of the Minister of Foreign
Affairs we can find no account of cash
transactions in his department, but
we do find the significant statement
that 'Mr. Mckinley accepts in lieu of
salary, one half of the fees received at
the Consulate, after all necessary ex-
penses have, in the first place, been
paid out of them" This arrangement
doubtless remunerates ''the Consul
General adequately for his services"
Referring to the report of the Minis
ter of Finance. no information rela
tive to what was turned in from the
San Francisco Consulate can be OBJ
tanned
Each sailor on the Australia con-
tributes 1925 year towards the Hos
pital. That is clear from the extract
published; of this, apparently McKin-
ley can claim half, and the other half.
f it reaches the Foreign Office, though
a good deal of it goes to-
wards necessary expenses" fails to
make any showing in the report of
the Minister of Finance. Whether
ever reaches the Hospital
perhaps the new Government Gazette
can inform us.
Why those sailors should have their
pay locked this amount seems utterly
ine1plicable. save to assist in SADIE
quately" remunerating ''the Consul.
General for his services" This is
only another straw pointing the way
in which the wind is blowing. No
service under the present condition of
Hawaiian rule can be kept clean. From
the highest to the lowest system of
grab is being carried on. Everyone